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Innovation

Delivering innovative technology solutions for a sustainable future

With 120 years of technological expertise in industrial gas production, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction is a leader in its industry, stepping up to the urgent challenge of climate change and the energy transition to create the innovative technological solutions of the future.

Air Liquide Engineering & Construction has made innovation the driving force of its strategy. The teams rely on internal and external innovation ecosystems to develop differentiating solutions to meet the challenges of customers, and to open up new markets, while helping to build a sustainable future. 

Air Liquide Engineering & Construction nurtures the inclusion and diversity, growth and entrepreneurial spirit of its employees and supports the technical creativity of its teams to develop unique solutions that make a real difference to customers.

Discover more in the Innovation Timeline:

 

1897-1936

1897

1897/ 1919 LURGI

Establishment of Lurgi
1902

CRYOGENICS

1st Air Separation unit (George Claude & Paul Delorme)
1930

LURGI

Pressure Gasification
1936

LURGI

First Fixed Bed Dry Bottom Gasification

1949-1970

1949

LURGI

Physical absorption with methanol (Rectisol)
1954

LURGI

First Autothermal Reforming application for town-gas production
1965

CRYOGENICS

Purification by adsorption, first industrial reference
1970

CRYOGENICS

1st Air Separation Units > more than 1 000 tpd

1972-1979

1972

CRYOGENICS

Pumping process first industrial reference
1973

LURGI

First three LP Methanol plants in operation
1978

LURGI

Combined reforming for synthesis gas production
1979

CRYOGENICS

First mega project

1983-1988

1983

CRYOGENICS

Radial beds Front-end Purification
1985

LURGI

OxyClaus™ Technology Development
1985

LURGI

First reference for complete natural gas treatment plant
1988

CRYOGENICS

Structured distillation packing first industrial reference

1992-1998

1992

CRYOGENICS

High air pressure scheme first generation (single machine arrangement)
1993

CRYOGENICS

Cryogenic argon - first production
1994

LURGI

First Lurgi Steam Methane Reformer Reference
1997

CRYOGENICS

First Air Separation Units > 3 200 tpd
1998

LURGI

Elevated SMR outlet temperature first reference

2002-2008

2002

CRYOGENICS

Elevated Pressure Cycle for IGCC first reference
2003

LURGI

Omnisulf™ acid gas enrichment and removal plant first references
2004

CRYOGENICS

First Air Separation unit > 4 000 tpd
2004

LURGI

Pilot plant for high pressure syngas production started up in Freiberg (Germany)
2004

LURGI

World’s largest single train methanol plant (ATLAS) goes into operation
2005

LURGI

First reference for the production of propylene by the MTP process
2007

LURGI

First stage of a joint research plant for the generation of fuels from biomass
2007

LURGI

Acquisition of Lurgi by Air Liquide
2008

CRYOGENICS

High air pressure scheme second generation
2008

LURGI

World’s largest (single train) acrylic acid facility (China)
2008

LURGI

Superior quality of biodiesel products

2011-2015

2011

LURGI

Third reference for the production of propylene by the MTP process
2012

LURGI

World’s largest Rectisol Unit
2013

CRYOGENICS

Largest packaged cold box - 3 700 tpd
2013

LURGI

4th generation of fatty alcohol production with lowest capital expenditure on the market
2013

CRYOGENICS

Largest helium liquefier in the world installed in Qatar
2014

LURGI

Largest multi-train hydrogen over the fence (OTF) plant in Saudi Arabia, Yanbu
2015

LURGI

Commercial-scale Multi-Purpose Gasification reference
2015

Cryogenic CO2 capture on Steam Methane Reforming plant
2015

World’s largest Air Separation Unit